Bitter Like Chocolate
by TR Feigning Innocence
Summary: It was one night, a night that touched them both. It was a night neither would forget. This is a drabble fic, with very short chapters.
1. Drink

They sat side by side, nearly touching. The music in the club was nearly deafening in its intensity and she wondered how he was able to stand it, even as she contemplated how sexy his pointed ears were. It wasn't often she was able to get this close to a youkai without them running away, screams of terror their follower.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and raised a brow. In the short time they'd been sitting together, the woman had done naught but stare. He admitted to himself that she was on the right side of beautiful even as he admitted that the minty scent in her aura told him she was dangerous.

When she caught his eye, the young woman smiled charmingly, a grin too bright to be seductive and too innocent to be coy. But the alcohol gave her courage and so she slipped off the bar stool and after regaining her precarious balance, held out and.

For a moment, he was tempted to deny her. Her scent came to him again as he leaned closer and he sighed. Taking his final shot, he stood and dropped enough payment on the bar for both of their drinks.

Still smiling, she took his hand and led him out of the bar.


	2. Burn

Burn

He wasn't loving or gentle. She didn't want sweet nothings or promises. Their skin was hot and slick as they moved together. His claws left lines of red up and down her body. Her purity brushed against him, both biting and caressing in its embrace. Small sighs and mewling moans escaped her as she clung to him, her blunt nails digging into the pale skin of his shoulders.

He held her with the firm capability of a man used to being in control, a man who knew his strength and relished in wielding it. His lack of tenderness thrilled her in a primal way.

He was silent as he touched her but for the rumbling growl building in his chest as they moved. She was so small and warm, giving in a way he had never experienced with another woman. Her blue eyes touched him, scorched into his memory.


	3. Leave

Leave

Slowly, she pulled away from him, shuddering as the cool air from the open windows touched her warm skin. She was sore, in more ways than one but all of them were pleasant. Carefully, she moved around the room, picking up her clothing along the way. Shimming back into the little black dress she'd worn the night before, she took one more careful look around the room. Assured that she'd grabbed everything she had come with, the young miko took one final glance at the handsome man in the silk sheets, melting his features into her memory, before she left.

Hard gold eyes lulled open lazily as he felt her leave the room. Her scent was subtle, laced with mint and chocolate; the combination pleased him. Rolling over onto his back, he narrowed those gold eyes as something sharp poked him in the side. Reaching beneath him he pulled out a small sapphire earing.


	4. Mine

Mine

Pulling the keys out of her purse, Kagome Higurashi unlocked the doors to her brand new purchase. The place was empty, for now. The walls were dark yellow, the floor an ugly green tile with white flecks. There was a dust catcher draped over an old scarred wooden cabinent that wrapped around half the room.

Behind her, the door opened again and she glanced back at her friends, Sango and Miroku. She grinned at them and her happiness was infectious. "It's perfect," she said, turning back around and taking a few more steps into the room. "I'm already deciding where I want everything to go."

Sango laughed and moved forward to loop her arm through Kagome's. "It's about damn time something good happened this year. You deserve this, more than anyone I know."


	5. Board

Board

Leaning back, he studied the men around the rest of the table. All of them wore pressed Armani suits and Rolex watches and all of them were from his father's board of trustees. With the exception of a handful, none of them were loyal to the younger Tashio and Sesshoumaru decided it was long past time to deal with that. With a glance from her boss, a young secretary moved forward with a very small pile of folders. Only three of the ten men in the room received one.

Dismissing the woman, Sesshoumaru gave his full attention to the men at the table. "Those who did not receive a portfolio no longer work for this company. You have been offered a generous severance, all things considered and have one hour to empty your various offices and leave the building."

There was stunned silence but Sesshoumaru did not give them the chance to contest his order as he left the room. Absently, he glanced at his secretary as she fell into step behind him and could not help but to test her scent.


	6. Fur

Fur

Warily, she set her keys down on the table by the door and slipped off her shoes. Her jacket came next, tossed on the nearest chair and invariably ending up on the floor. In the kitchen, she could already see the blinking red light of the answering machine. For a moment, the sight paralyzed her and her purse slipped lifelessly to the floor.

It was the brushing of soft fur against her bare legs that brought Kagome back and she knelt down by the small grey tabby gratefully. Picking the kitten up, she nuzzled against its neck, calming as she walked towards the machine. Steady now, she pressed play and listened as her mother's voice filled the small apartment.

Cradling the cat closely, she couldn't help but to stare into steady gold eyes, reminded of a night that seemed like a dream.


	7. Settlement

Settlement

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything related to it.

o.O.o

Closing his eyes, he leaned back in the chair and wished for naught but peace and quiet. His head was pounding as the nasally voice of _her_lawyer rambled on. How he despised the man; how he wished the times hadn't changed so he could dismantle those who displeased him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is this all amendable to you?"

His thoughts drifted to the woman who had deceived him; he never should have trusted her. Even as the thought crossed his mind, another crack formed in his shattering heart. "She can have whatever she wants but the child's belongings will remain with this one.

The lawyer hesitated. "My Lord…

"My word is final. She can have the house in the Caribbean and the summer house in Europe, as well as the Maserati. Rin's belongings will remain with this Sesshoumaru and the wench will get nothing else." Red started to bleed into his eyes as the lawyer dared question him and he wanted nothing more than to tear the windpipe from the impudent demons throat. A cheeky smile and warm brown eyes of a little girl popped into his mind and stilled his hand. "Get out."

o.O.o

Word Count: 194


	8. Swing

Swing

She watched the little boy play, more energy and exuberance in him than she'd ever seen before. His name was Shippou and his emerald green constantly swung back to her.

"Watch this, Kagome!" He jumped up onto the monkey bars and began to move.

Her heart in her throat, Kagome watched him swing from one bar to another, waiting for him to lose his grip, prepared to catch him if or when he did. When he made it to the other side, she smiled at him, clapping her hands. "Good job, Shippou-kun!"

Grinning cheekily, he dropped clumsily to the ground on the other side and ran back to her, stopping at the last minute before he collided with her. "Kagome…is Rin ever going to come back?" The words were quiet, his head tilted to the side as he stared up at her.

Pain filled her and the young woman dropped to her knees before him. Reaching out to cup his face, Kagome shook her head. Her heart throbbed, for the boy, for the girl, for herself but especially for the parents. "I'm sorry, Shippou. I'm so sorry! Rin isn't going to come back anymore!" Tears filled her eyes and she grasped the boy, pulling him close and wrapping him in a warm hug.

His small body shook as he huddled in her grasp, memories of his friend echoing across his mind. "Are there lots of flowers where she's at now?"

A choked laugh escaped and she hugged the small kit all the tighter. "Yes Ship, I don't doubt there are."

He leaned back and patted her cheek with his tiny, clawed paw. "Then she is probably happy, Kagome."

"Yes," she whispered, watching the little boy with watery blue eyes, "I think she is too."

o.O.o

Word Count: 295


	9. Whimsy

Whimsy

He stood outside the door, staring unseeingly at the pale pink sign that spelled her name. He hadn't wanted children, even when he saw that little face watching him warily from the entrance to an ally. She was a monstrosity of a child, dirty and bruised. He blamed it on the chocolaty brown of her round eyes and the way she stared longingly, hopefully, respectfully, at him as she held out a tin can for change. She was alone.

His wife called it whimsy, a waste of time, a waste of money. She didn't want children either.

He hadn't been able to help himself. The papers were drawn up, everything was signed and Sesshoumaru Tashio, the ruthless Daiyoukai and businessman of a multinational, international corporation, was now a father.

The girl had taken to him faster than a duck to water and her presence warmed a heart he hadn't even realized had become so frozen.

o.O.o

Word count: 155


	10. Guilt

Guilt

Warm brown eyes watched as a dark mop of hair crested the top of the stairs and she smiled at her daughter. There was a bounce in her step, though small and the young woman no longer looked like she was always looking over her shoulder. Moving forward, she held her arms out. "Kagome, my dear, how are you?"

Kagome smiled and leaned gratefully against the older woman. "Mama," she breathed, burying her nose in the crook of her mother's neck. It always surprised Kagome that although she was bigger than her mother, a hug from the Higurashi matriarch always felt like a safe haven. "How have you been?"

Nodoka Higurashi suppressed her worry at the avoided question and determined to simply watch her daughter for the afternoon to assure herself that the girl was alright. "It's been busy at the shrine. We're already getting a few of the early birds for the winter holidays."

Suddenly, the smile slipped from Kagome's face and she stared at her mother with a far away look in her eyes. "It is that time of the year again, isn't it." She couldn't keep the guilt from forming any more than she could the tears from rising.

"Oh Kagome," her mother murmured, watching her baby as tears gathered in her own eyes. How much more would her daughter torture herself over this? "It wasn't your fault," she said softly, "there wasn't anything you could have done differently."

Tears fell and another crack formed in what used to be a full heart.

o.O.o

Word Count: 260


	11. Ghost

Ghost

Night had long since fallen on the empty playground; the only thing that moved was the wind as it rattled the chains of the swing set. The air was cold, frost setting into the metal of the bench and wind buffeting him from all sides. He felt nothing though as ghosts moved in his memory and a small dark haired girl swung on the swing, her laughter echoing in his memory. Guilt and anger formed in his chest because he had never been there before this night.

He didn't know how high she swung, who she played with, what her nanny did while she interacted with the children. He had never thought to learn; had never thought she would be taken away from him so quickly.

He remembered the night, replayed it every day in his mind, every night before he went to sleep. It was a rerun, both wrenching in its reality and naïve because he couldn't believe she was gone. Her laughter played again in his ears, a sweet song that he never tired of and he watched as her ghost moved higher and higher on the swing, until finally she jumped and was gone. "Rin," he whispered, his hands fisting in his pockets.

o.O.o

Word Count: 204


	12. Scrub

Scrub

She scrubbed and sanded and pulled and cleaned until her fingers were red and cracked. She worked mindlessly, her actions robotic as she scoured her shop from top to bottom. Cracked green tiles were tossed in a dumpster on the other end of the room as she ignored small trails of blood that dripped her fingers from the sharp ceramics. By the time she was done the ugly green tiles were gone and the wooden cabinet was no longer scarred or old looking and the walls looked bright.

Licking her lips as awareness slowly returned to her, Kagome leaned exhaustedly back against the wall and looked around the shop once more. She hadn't realized how much work she had gotten done, hadn't remember that once upon a time, her mother had said hard work was good for the soul. Absently she wondered if this was what her mother had meant.

The guilt was still there, bright like the red lines lining her fingers and palms, sharp like the pain that each small nick throbbed with. But it was slowly fading and Kagome found herself feeling numb, more than anything. So much had happened in the past year, most of it bad. Now, sitting here all alone in her new shop, Kagome wondered if all the pain, all the guilt, would wash away as easily as the dirt and dust on the walls had or if she would have to rip out each and every tangled weave of it, as she had the tile.

o.O.o

Word Count: 253


	13. Bloom

He watched, apathetic, as she packed. Silk and cotton, jewels and baubles, all of her belongings tossed into one of the numerous bags piled atop his king size bed. She was cursing, her crimson eyes outline in outraged tears. Every now and then, curses left her sharp lips as she moved back and forth from dresser to bed to closet to bed, over and over. Absently, he wondered if she even had enough baggage to fit all of her possessions.

She stopped suddenly and glared at him venomously, slapping her hands to her hour glass hips. "You know, you don't have to stand here and glare at me the entire time; you can trust me not to steal anything that isn't mine in this god forsaken place!"

He lifted a lip in a silent sneer and narrowed cold, dead eyes at her. "This Sesshoumaru trusted you once before with something precious. I will not do so again."

Kagura paled at the insult and flinched, unable to help herself. She hadn't liked the little girl, couldn't stand the way her growing strength and purity brushed against her delicate senses; she had been jealous of the warmth her husband showed the human by-blow. The child had been the one thing he wanted that she was unable to provide, even when they had tried frequently at the beginning of their marriage. No matter what though she would never have purposely hurt an innocent child, especially one that made the man she loved so happy. Unwilling to show him her tears and the guilt that was tearing her apart from the inside, Kagura ducked her head and continued packing.

When all was said and done, when she was gone, Sesshoumaru walked slowly through the luxurious condo. Unsurprisingly, it was empty. Like a ghost, he drifted from room to room, and like always, ended up before the room with the little pink letters that spelled her name. Slowly, he pushed open the door hoping for her scent even though he knew it had long since faded. Not unlike his heart, the room was cold and empty, a dark place where no hope bloomed. Quietly, he closed the door and walked away.


	14. Punishment

The small apartment, not much more than a studio with a closet for a bedroom, was dark and silent. Street lights shone through partially covered windows and the occasional midnight passerby could be heard through those same panes.

In that tiny little hole otherwise called a bedroom, dark blue eyes snapped open over pale, clammy skin. Shaking, she rolled onto her side and tried to still her racing heart. Tears fell as she huddled under the blankets. He was there, in her mind, tall and dark just as he'd always been and just as he always had, he was talking; whispering, conniving, demanding. When he was done speaking, that was when the _real _pain came. It was strong and sharp and slow and no matter how hard she tried, there was no avoiding it.

Sometimes, for days after, there were bruises. It was those days she wished desperately for the strength to leave but it was those same days when she realized just how much she would lose if she ever left. And he was so convincing that sometimes, no matter what her head would tell her, her heart ached to believe him. Eventually, when things escalated, when he went after one of the only people in her life who depended on her, Kagome came to her senses. She tried to run.

He found her, as he'd always promised he would and _oh _how there had been hell to pay. Even his punishment though was not enough to sway her mind. It was then that he told her if he couldn't have her, then _no one_ could. That horrible, horrible night…she had known, deep in her heart that she was supposed to die that night. Sometimes, she wished she had.


	15. Brother

It was, he thought, becoming easier to go day by day and not wish to kill someone. Everyday her laughter echoed in his ears, every night he sat in her room and enveloped himself in what remained of her presence. As he moved through the day from office to dinner to home, it was becoming easier to tune back into life. Almost a year ago to the day his most precious person had been stolen, taken away to a place he would not return if he attempted to return.

Across the room, slightly warmer golden eyes watched the older inu and for the first time in a very long time, Inuyasha hesitated. He had grieved in his own way about the little girl his brother had adopted but in the year that had passed, so had his mourning. After all, she hadn't been _his._ Now he couldn't decide, was stuck between tucking tail and running, to leave his brother with his solitude once again, or trying to find some way to distract the other dog from his thoughts. Inuyasha had never thought Sesshoumaru would have become so attached to a human child but in a way, he hadn't been surprised. Everybody needed someone in their life they cared for.

Sighing, he stood and straightened his shoulders. Either way, it was past time for his brother to start moving on. Narrowing his eyes, he approached Sesshoumaru. "Hey shitface!" he called, a smirk settling on his lips, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your lazy up and let's go!"

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched and he spared his half-brother a glare. "Cease you antics and leave this one alone."

"Stop crying about some stupid little girl and get back to your life, dipshit!" he called, deciding that maybe baiting him about the girl was the only thing that would get a rise out of the Inu.

The full demon snarled and launched at his brother, uncaring about his apartment or its sparse furnishings. It was a beginning, an outlet his beast craved and in the back of his mind, Sesshoumaru was grateful though the words would never leave his mouth. As he pounded into the younger man, a little bit of warmth and life crept sneakily back into his heart and all the while he was unaware.


	16. Smile

Kagome stared absently at the papers before her, chewing slowly on a saltine cracker as she studied them. All were beautiful, the lines simple and elegant, just as she had asked. But still, there was something…off, about each piece. Taking a sip of milk, she rearranged the papers in the hope that maybe it was just the way they were laid out. Even still, she did not like them. There was just something missing.

Closing her eyes, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Why did it have to be so hard? "Mama…what do you think of these?"

The elder Higurashi glanced at her daughter and made a note to pick up more crackers; Kagome had gone through nearly the entire box in the past few days. Moving closer to the table, she pulled a few of the pieces closer. They were beautiful, all artfully designed to be tasteful and yet still eye-catching. Soothing greens and pinks and blues mixed with so many different shades of brown. She liked them all but there was still…

Sitting down, she took her daughters hand, pushing the papers back to her. "Kagome…these are all very good, there isn't anything wrong with them."

"I think I like the pink and brown one," Kagome mumbled, pulling that one closer. The lines were the most clean but there was still something decorative about the design. She closed her eyes, imagining the colors and extra cabinets and counters with the floral decorations. Flowers….

She remembered, a pang in her heart, a little girl bringing her a bouquet of dandelions and an assortment of other odds and ends she had found in the park. Biting her lip, she looked at her mother and leaned forward, a little bit of excitement growing in her eyes. "I can never make up for what happened," she said quietly, "but I can dedicate this to _her_."

"Kagome, there wasn't anything you could have done to prevent that horrible night. That little girl wasn't the only one that was hurt."

Kagome paused, remembering the scar between her breast and along her collar bone, but shook her head. "No, but she was the only one who didn't survive."

Mrs. Higurashi frowned; they had had this conversation so many times now and she wished desperately for something to bring back the little girl who always smiled and feared nothing. She wanted the young woman who had no guilt, who was naturally happy and who faced everything head on. She sighed. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to name it after her and our signature item is going to be flower-based." Kagome smiled and some of the guilt lifted from her heart, leaving it just a tad bit longer than it had been in years.

Mrs. Higurashi held her breath; it was the first real one she'd seen from her child for the first time in almost three years.


	17. Picture

He stared at her door, an action he had only recently realized he spent entirely too much time doing. She was gone and he had accepted that; it was long past time to take down her room and pack away her belongings. He knew it was not healthy to occupy himself with a ghost, knew that he was letting her loss take control of his life. Even though nothing in his life was suffering for his preoccupation, in part because Inuyasha had stepped into his shoes, he was only making the situation worse.

Sighing, he slowly pushed open the door and set down a stack of empty boxes. His brother and father had both offered to help him with this but Sesshoumaru was loath to offer the task to someone else. She was his and he was the only one who would touch her belongings.

He couldn't stop himself from remembering every time she played with a certain toy, or the squeals and giggles of excitement when he or his family would give her a present. She was such a bright child and his heart, that organ he had long ago denied existed, ached for her loss. For each time that muscle throbbed, each time he held on of her toys, he realized just how many memories he had of her.

When he was done, all that remained was her bed, with its pink floral coverlet and pink polka dot sheets and the numerous pictures of her and a red-headed little boy he didn't recognize. In every picture she was in the park her nanny took her too so he assumed it was the mother of the little boy who took the pictures. Some of them though were lopsided and blurry though and they usually focused on Rin alone. Some of them though showed bits and pieces of what he thought to be a woman though the boy, who he assumed had taken control of the camera at that point, never managed to get her face or entire body in any shot.

Setting those aside to go through later, he turned his attention back to the ones of Rin. These he would frame and they would be the only reminder of what he had loved and what he had lost.


	18. Dandelion

It wasn't, she thought, turning out badly at all. Hands on her hips, she looked carefully around the room. In the end, she had chosen a pale mint green for the walls, in an attempt to make the shop just a little less feminine, with pink polka dots and the occasional pink flower. The booths were a dark, dark brown, for her favorite type of chocolate. The tables, rectangular with rounded corners and about an inch and a half thick, also had the same coloring as the walls, with thin fiber glass atop it so they were easier to clean. The floors were a light color wood and at the entrance, a dandelion was carved into the wood.

Very subtly, initials were etched into the flower and she knew not many people would notice. But she would and that was all that mattered.

Behind her, there was excited chatter as four people took their first tour of the now renovated store. Progress had been fast; only six weeks ago had she signed the papers and made it hers and Kagome knew it was in large part because of her friends. Turning around, she smiled at Miroku and Sango. "Thank you, for everything you done for me. You have no idea how much it means to me that you would do this for me!" Tears lined her eyes and Kagome couldn't stop herself from launching at them, wrapping them both tightly in a hug.

Sango and Miroku were both Ambassadors between human and youkai kind and their income was massive. They had paid for nearly everything in the shop, including all the work Sango's younger brother, Kohaku, had done with the wood for the floors and cabinets. They smiled at each other over the head of their small friend. It was all worth it, especially with the giddy smile and happy tears pouring out of Kagome's eyes. "Do not think on it, Kagome-san," Miroku said, patting her head affectionately.

"You're family Kagome; Roku and I would do anything for you, you know that," Sango added, precariously close to tears.

Behind them, a soft voice cleared her throat and all three young people turned to acknowledge the elder Higurashi who held a gape mouthed Shippou. "What do you plan on calling it, Kagome dear?"

"Can I tell 'er Kagome, can I, can I?" Shippou demanded, wiggling in the human woman's grasp.

Kagome smiled softly and shook her head, even as she held her arms out for the antsy child. "Not this time Shippou. This one is for me."

Shippou pouted but immediately launched himself at her, burying his nose in her neck and relaxing in her arms; his Kagome's scent always soothed him.

"So?" asked Mrs. Higurashi, her head tilted to the side.

Again the young miko smiled even as more tears edged in at the corner of her eyes. "I'm calling it, '_Chocolates for Rin.'"_


	19. Anniversary

His apartment, for the first time in a year, felt like home. Every night he came home and was graced with a gap toothed smile and warm brown eyes. She grinned at him from the walls, from the tables. Any available space had a photo of her and when he had a particularly bad day, she was his soothing balm. Each day he saw her face and each day his heart slowly grew back together again. He mourned, but he lived.

Tomorrow would be the anniversary of the day she had been taken from him. He would go to her and he would pray, as her kind did, for her happiness in her next life, in the hope that she would one day come back to him.

Because it was special to him and because she used to love it when he did so, Sesshoumaru would wear his ceremonial garb, with fur and markings and armor and sword. For her, because she was his and she deserved to know that he still remembered her, as he remembered his past, with fondness and regret, with every emotion he was capable of holding, he would hold her memory. Because she was his, always.


	20. Hope

For a long while, she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her heart was heavy and light, sorrowful and joyful. It was a day that brought painful memories but it was also a day of healing. And it was _her_ day, Rin's day. That thought in mind, she rolled out of bed and dressed for the day, silently moving through her apartment in the pre-dawn darkness.

The closer she got to the cemetery, the more nervous she became. It was an anxiety she couldn't explain, an uneasiness that had nothing to do with danger and everything to do with guilt.

When she finally pulled to a stop before the gated fields, Kagome was quaking with the urge to turn tail and hide but another part of her, the part of her that was already beginning to heal itched to bear her heart to the little girl, to beg forgiveness, even if she didn't deserve it. It was this portion of Kagome that forced her out of the car, keys clenched in shaking hands, and moved her down row after row until she came to a grave with Rin's name and heartbreakingly short gap between years.

She knelt and gently set down the dandelions and chocolate, even as the tears came pouring out again. "I'm so, so sorry Rin-chan…I'm sorry!" Her shoulders shook with each heart-wrenching sob as for the first time since that horrible night a year ago, Kagome completely let go. "If I had known then that this would happen, I never would have tried to leave him. I loved you, still love you, just as I do Ship. You were…are _still_, a daughter of my heart, if not my blood."

Kagome shuddered, her body hunched in on itself as she cried. "It should have been me, that night. If I had tried harder, I could have stopped him. I know it!" Her hands clenched in the fabric of her dress as she leaned forward, pressing her head against the cold stone in the resemblance of a bow. "I don't know if you can ever forgive me for bringing him into your life and I don't expect you to. All I can say is I'm sorry you taken instead of me. You have no idea how much I wish it was me and not you!"

Warm brown eyes and a silly smile slowly formed in Kagome's mind and the young woman stilled. She knew it wasn't real as Rin's voice spoke in her mind but even as she knew, Kagome couldn't stop her heart from clenching, couldn't stop the hope that rose in the afore mentioned organ. _'Kagome-Chan…..Kagome-chan! Stop living in the past, Kagome-chan. Rin is still Rin and Rin does not blame Kagome-chan because Rin loves Kagome-chan!'_

She remembered then, the day Rin had gotten hurt because of her; the words she'd just heard in her head were almost the same as what the little girl had said to her that day. She shuddered and dark, wilted thing that had become her heart slowly began to take shape again. _Hope,_ it whispered, _never lose hope._ Kagome shuddered and looked wonderingly at the slab that was Rin's grave. Carefully, she pulled out a picture and set it gently against the gravestone, putting a small rock against it to hold it in place. "I miss you, Rin-chan. I'm always going to miss you," she whispered.


	21. Rest

Sesshoumaru flew in the darkness of the pre-dawn, his cloud beneath his feet, the air tearing into his hair and sending it flying behind him as he moved through the sky. It did not take him long to get there and when he landed softly before her grave the rest of the cemetery was all but deserted. Somewhere in the vast sprawl of what had once been a meadow, the groundskeeper was about.

He moved before the small stone that represented his Rin but before he could even emerge himself in thoughts and memories, the scent of tears reached his nose and a picture at the base of her grave caught his eye. The scent was achingly familiar but he could not bring her name or face to mind. Crouching, he picked up the picture. Once again it was a snapshot of the same little red headed boy as before but this time, the woman's entire body was in the picture as she held the boy in her lap. Still though, it was too blurry to make out much of her features.

Sighing, he slipped the picture inside his haori and focused once again on his…daughter. It was hard to say the word, even to himself, that this was what she had been. He remembered her, as he always would, with a goofily sweet smile and hands full of flowers. His heart ached, as it always would but he was ready to let her go. "Rest well, my Rin," he said quietly, setting his hand gently against her name on the stone.


	22. Open

Unable to hold back the grin, Kagome carefully flipped the sign from 'closed' to 'open,' and let out a breath. Now that everything was done as far as renovation and construction and she was able to hire a cashier, 'Chocolates For Rin,' was able to open. Behind her, her friends and family were busily laughing and talking, munching on a tray of sample chocolates she'd laid out for them. Turning back around, she surveyed the sleek glass cases filled with different varieties and shapes of chocolates. Finally. Finally this was hers, this had worked, this was her dream. Smiling softly, she offered up a small prayer to Rin. _'This is all because of you Rin-chan, I want you to realize that. You helped me realize that I had to take what I wanted.' _

Grinning smugly, unable to help herself, Kagome crossed behind the counter and picked up her apron. Glancing at her new cashier, she tied on her apron. "Are you ready, Aiko-chan?"

"Of course, Kagome-san!" The girl was bubbly and like Kagome, part English-part Japanese. Her blue eyes were more of an icy blue than her bosses and her features had a more Asiatic tilt than Kagome's. She was cute and Kagome was glad to have such an adorable, perky high-school student as her help.

Kagome nodded and lounged against the counter, content to wait. When the bell over the door chimed, Kagome stood straight and smiled charmingly at the customer. "Welcome to Chocolate's For Rin!"


	23. Loyalties

Sesshoumaru leaned back casually in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied his father. For all intents and purposes, he supposed they could have been brothers, so similar were their looks. There was an aged, arrogant wisdom in his father though that Sesshoumaru was loath to admit he wished to emulate.

"You shouldn't have fired the entirety of the board as you did," said Toga, his voice unflinching as his son glowered at him.

The younger daiyoukai raised a brow, his own arrogance more than apparent on his handsome face. "They are no longer of your concern, father. I require board members who are willing to change with the time and to accept this Sesshoumaru as their leader. You would have done no different were out places reversed."

Toga sighed and closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've never understood how you could be so completely immune to the plights of others Sesshoumaru. They have families, children, like Rin."

His yōki flared and Sesshoumaru bit back a snarl. How dare he try and use Rin to change his mind! "They were each given generous sums for their severance; I care naught for their plight. If they wished to remain in this Sesshoumaru's employ then they should have proven they were loyal."


	24. Nurse

Kagome hung over the rim of the toilet, her head pounding, heart racing as she tossed her cookies. Miserable, when the wave of sickness passed, she licked her lips and leaned back against the tub. She wished desperately for whatever this was to hurry up and pass; Kagome hated being sick probably because she so rarely was sick.

When it happened earlier in the week, she hadn't thought anything of it. Maybe it was one of those twenty-four hour bugs. The second time, she accorded it the same label and brushed it off as her body getting rid of whatever last sickness remained. Now though, her cheeks pressed against the cold tile of the walls and her legs wrapped around the base of the toilet, Kagome was forced to reconsider.

In the other room, Sango was pacing back and forth, speaking with a friend that was a nurse. She hated seeing Kagome so weak and pale and so she had volunteered to speak with her nurse friend to get her opinion. Pausing at the entrance to the hallway, where she could see the open door, she yelled the question the nurse was asking. "Kagome, when was the last time you had your period?"


	25. Honor

He studied the group of men and women before him, completely satisfied with his choices. There was no reigning similarity between any of them; he knew and recognized the individual strengths offered.

Beside him, his brother and father remained silently, both silently approving of Sesshoumaru's choice. Toga Tashio knew every youkai and human in the room and though he did not agree with his sons choice concerning the previous members of the Board, he was willing to acknowledge that this group of individuals would do well by the corporation.

An extremely old man with a warmly wrinkled faced moved forward to address the three Tashios'. He bowed in turn to each of them, then rose and settled his ancient gray eyes on Sesshoumaru. "You do me a great honor, Sesshoumaru-san, by hiring this old body. I look forward to working with you."

Regally, Sesshoumaru inclined his head towards the old man that had served his family for centuries. "Tashio Corp. is lucky to have one of such knowledge within its grasp. The honor is ours, Bokusenou-san. "


	26. Nerves

Kagome stared blankly at the piece of paper in her hands, unaware that said appendage trembled. It was there in black and white, the results of the pregnancy test. She was unsure what to think.

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised; after all, neither she nor her one night stand had thought of birth control. Kagome had simply assumed a baby created between a youkai and human could not exist because of the two opposing energies.

Across from her, Nodoka, Kagome's mother, cleared her throat softly. "Well?" There was no anger in her mother's eyes, or disappointment. Instead, in them Kagome found acceptance and even excitement.

"It's positive," she said softly, still sorting out her emotions. There was no anger or fear, she realized as she thought about it now; there was more a feeling of nervousness. Would she be a good mother? Could she do it on her own? Should she contact the father, if she could even find him again?"

o.O.o

Word Count: 163

A/N - Thank you for the reviews you guys! I know this is cliche but I couldn't resist adding it in; we need at least some kind of comic/happy relief with how much more emotional this fic is going to get. OH. And Sess and Kags will be meeting soon! ^_^ As always, read and review! I love hearing from you guys!


	27. Heir

It was a beginning, he thought, as he watched his brother and his wife flit about the room making small talk. Per usual, Kikyou was the personable one, smoothing over any ruffled feathers and solving problems with an ease that he was starting to think belonged to her alone. Inuyasha was his typical gruff self though not of the first time, the little miko that was his wife seemed to have a muzzle on him.

Tuning back into the conversation, he merely raised a brow as he caught the tail end of comment directed at him. "I'm afraid marriage is not a question for me at the moment, Bokusenou-san. This one did just divorce Kagura."

Bokusenou smiled mischievously and shuffled closer, setting a weathered hand on the young man's arm. "Be that as it may Sesshoumaru-san, you will need an heir and who better than a pretty little wife to make it for you?"


	28. Dial

She couldn't help it. The excitement was growing as she stared at the sonogram. The doctor had said it was too early to tell what the sex was yet but that didn't really matter. While there was still a little bit of fear, Kagome was more excited than anything. Finally, everything in her life was falling into place. Maybe a child hadn't been on the agenda, not so early anyway, but she had accepted it, looked forward to it, craved it. Just as the shop was a new beginning, so was the child. The past several years had been hard; the terror and pain were still fresh on her mind at times but with everything that had happened, Kagome felt this was it. This was the time when everything started getting better.

That thought in mind, she picked up the phone book and flipped to the 'T' section. They hadn't exchanged first names, only last and she hadn't gotten his phone number. Their one night stand was supposed to have been just that: one night. She'd had no intention of ever seeing him again.

The child growing within her though changed everything. She remembered clearly what it was to grow up without a father. Kagome knew of course that her father would have been there if he could have but things happened and he was no longer alive. She used to visit his grave often and share everything, except for the past several years. Yet another thing on her list of changes to make would be to start going back again.

Shaking her head, she focused once more on the book before her and was dismayed to find such a large list of 'Tashios''. Sighing, she picked up the phone and began dialing. "You can do this," she mumbled, entering the first number. "He has a right to know."


	29. Confusion

Kikyo Tashio held the phone away from her ear and looked at it, wondering if she were hearing things. It wasn't often one called for Inuyasha, especially a woman. She sounded young and there was a tremor in her voice that put Kikyo on edge for reasons the woman couldn't understand.

Sighing, she pulled the phone close again and spoke. "I'm sorry but unless you tell me the reason for your call, I cannot pass it on to my husband."

There was a gasp on the other end of the line and once again, confusion reigned in Kikyo's mind. What was wrong with the girl? Why was she behaving so oddly? And why in the world was she asking to speak with Inuyasha? Frustrated, she moved to speak but was cut off with a quick, pleading apology and a dial tone.

Wordlessly, she stared at the contraption and set it carefully in its base. Ideas started to form in her mind and unable to help herself, Kikyo imagined the worst about her husband. Still, she was determined to get to the bottom of it before she accused Inuyasha of anything. That thought in mind, she picked up the phone again and dialed.


	30. Family

Kagome stared in horror at the phone as it slipped lifelessly from her fingers to clatter nosily on the floor.

On the other side of the room, Nadoka looked up sharply and fear entered her heart at the sight of her daughter's pale, stricken face. It had been such a long time since she'd seen Kagome wear that look. Dropping the wet soapy dish back into the sink and wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried to her daughter's side. Kneeling, she took hold of Kagome's hands. "Kagome! Kagome, sweet heart, what's the matter?"

Blue eyes lifted to meet brown and Kagome shook her head. "He's married, Mama," she whispered. Guilt and revulsion ripped through her with the merciless joy of a category five hurricane. "I slept with a married man…" Tears sprang to her eyes as thoughts whirled through her mind. What kind of horrible person _did_ that? Kagome hadn't thought she was capable of wreaking a home, a marriage. Yet another thing -

"Kagome Rene Higurashi, you will stop that right now!" Nadoka ordered, letting go of her baby's palms only to take her still youth softened cheeks into her hands. "Did you know, when you did it, that he was married?"

Slowly, Kagome shook her head. "I didn't, I swear, b-but that doesn't change what I did!"

Frustrated and worried that this would be the final straw to break her daughter, Nadoka shifted her grip to Kagome's shoulders and shook her forcibly. "You listen to me this minute Kagome! I did not raise you to be this fearful, tearful little girl! You are strong and it's past time you started acting like it!"

Kagome bit her lip and met her mother's gaze, hope and fear burning bright. "But the baby…"

Nadoka softened her expression and leaned forward to press a warm kiss to her daughter's brow. "I raised two perfectly amazing children by myself," she said quietly. "You will do the same. Your grandfather and I would not accept otherwise. You will be just as amazing as a mother as you were a child." Standing, she brushed her hands on the apron once more and then moved back to the sink. Submerging her hands back into the now cooling water, she winked saucily back at Kagome. "Besides, you've got your family to help you."

Gratefully, Kagome shook her head; all the fear and angst that had long since built up inside of her was slowly melting away and she could breathe easily again. She didn't remember when she had allowed herself to become so soft; when she had started crying at the drop of a hat. Rubbing the remaining tears out of her eyes, she sat up straight and pushed her shoulders back, her chin lifted defiantly and she smiled blindingly at her mother. "Thank you, Mama!"


	31. Risk

A young woman with bright orange hair leaned back in her chair and studied the small but powerful woman across from her. She had known Kikyo since primary school, when they were both forced into a school that wanted integration between the two races. Back then, the force had been necessary. After the first bloodied lip on Kikyo and the first burn on Ayame, they had become the best of friends, like all childhood relationships.

Now, as she sat across from her miko friend, Ayame wondered what had happened to make her friend lose her composure so badly. The last time she had seen the other woman look so bedraggled was right before Inuyasha had proposed to her and she was afraid her love was going to end the relationship. Sighing, she pushed her hair out of her face and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the large wooden desk before her. "You think Inuyasha is cheating on you," she said.

Slowly, Kikyo nodded. She hated the not knowing, the loss of poise and most especially the pitying look in her best friends eyes. "I don't know for sure. It's just a feeling."

"You want me to trace a phone number on a feeling," Ayame said, raising a brow.

"Please," Kikyo said quietly, "It's very important to me. You know I wouldn't ask this of you otherwise."

Again Ayame sighed. "You're lucky we're friends," she muttered as she pulled the phone closer. "I wouldn't risk my job for just anyone."

"Thank you, Ayame," she answered, her voice still quiet but her brown eyes filled with warm emotion. "I'll pay you back for this, somehow."

The wolf demoness blushed, as uncomfortable with accepting the emotion as Kikyo was with showing it, and shrugged it off. "Someone owes me a favor anyway," she said gruffly.


	32. Comparison

Kagome swept the broom slowly back and forth across the shrine steps, never mind that with each swipe, the wind sang again and brought back each and every leaf. She was distracted as she worked on the menial chore, her mind a million miles away.

It was because of this that when a quiet clearing of the throat echoed, Kagome startled and dropped the broom. Her heart racing, fear in her eyes, she had to shake her head of memories and focus on the young woman before her. She was pretty, in an aristocratic way and though Kagome thought she might be a few years older than her own 23 summers, it was hard to tell. Her hair was a dark, dark brown and her eyes, almond shaped, were just this shade of milk chocolate. Just beneath the surface, she could an answering tingle of minty purity. Picking up the broom, she bowed and said, "Welcome to the Sunset Shrine, Miko-san!"

Kikyo could do naught but study the girl; in the most basic of ways, there were so many similarities between them. Similar build, their colorings so analogous it stunned Kikyo and hurt in a way she had never imagined possible. It wasn't just the other Miko's looks that were comparable that stole Kikyo's breath. Whatever she was to Inuyasha, her purity, the strength of her aura was strong and easily dominated her own pure power.

She did not return the bow, could not bring herself to give this girl, who had stolen the love of her husband, the proper respect due to a new acquaintance. Slowly, unable to help herself, she let her power rise, knowing it would be naught but a sting to the other girl. "My name," she said, hands fisting at her side, her voice glacier cold, "is Kikyo…Tashio."

Kagome's eyes widened and the broom slipped uselessly to the ground once again.


	33. Wonderful

Her hands twisted in her lap and Kagome glanced furtively at the other woman. They sat beneath the Goshinboku in a tense silence interrupted only by the occasional whistle of the wind and the sound of traffic far below the shrine. Finally, unable to bear the tension in the air, Kagome spoke. "I didn't know, when we did it. I didn't know, until I called you a few days ago."

Kikyo closed her eyes, her mind awhirl with pain and accusations and a desire to hate the younger woman before her with every single vicious, dark emotion she held inside. Her heart tore at just the thought that Inuyasha would pick this girl, this woman who looked so similar to herself. If he was going to have an affair, couldn't he have at least picked someone else, someone who looked more like a stranger instead of the face he woke up to each and every morning. "Where was his ring?" she asked quietly, finally opening her eyes to glance at the young woman.

Kagome shook her head. "He wasn't wearing one. I checked, before I made any advances, I promise." Her heart ached and not for the first time, Kagome wished she could turn back time to undo yet another decision in her life, another choice she regretted. Her hands drifted to her stomach and she quickly changed her mind. "What your husband did to you was horrible and I am so sorry; but it is not a decision I regret at all."

Something inside of her lifted at the girls words, at the movements of her hands. It was hope and it screamed to be recognized. "You are pregnant," she said softly, wonder shining in her eyes.

Her eyes wide, Kagome wondered at this sudden shift in emotion. Where was the anger, the hurt that tinted the air only seconds ago. "I…y-yes, I am."

"Oh, that's _wonderful_!" Kikyo cried, setting her fingers to her lips as what resentment and betrayal entered her mind and hurt slowly drifted away as if they never existed.


	34. Procedure

It was, to say the least, the very last thing Kagome expected. To see joy and relief on the face of the woman she had helped wrong, it confused the young miko to her very core. "I'm sorry…I don't understand," she admitted, watching Kikyo warily.

Kikyo smiled, a very warm, gentle smile that was meant to set Kagome at ease. "The child can't belong to my husband," she said, scooting closer across the bench until she could take Kagome's hands in her own. "You see, Inuyasha had a vasectomy after the last time I gave birth!"

Kagome bit her lip, still worried and gently pulled her hands away. "But those aren't always-

"It wasn't a _human_ procedure," Kikyo whispered quickly, a slight blush covering her features. "He had another Miko do it!"


	35. Authors Note

A/N – So. I have had absolutely no time to upload more chapters to this site in quite some time. That said, all of my Sess/Kag stories, include Bitter Like Chocolate, are posted on under the UN: Midnight Song. If you can't find it like that, just search the title. ^_^ Sorry for the hassle and as always, Read and Review!


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